Shoe-lacing and lace-fastening



(No Model.)

A. C. MATHER.

SHOE LAGING AND LAGE PASTENING. No. 362,760.

Nrra

ALONZO C.

FFICEO MATHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE=LACING AND LACE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362.760,;dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed October 25, 1886. Serial No. 217,115. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be -it known that I, ALONZO C. MATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Lacings and Fastenings, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the shoe, showing my improved lacing and fastening, and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on theline .r ro of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail of one ofthe eyelets. Fig. 4- is a perspective detail of the metallic fastening attached to the shoe and showing manner of fastening lacingcord. Fig. 5 is a detail of the metallic fastening detached.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

rIhe object of my invention is to provide a shoe lacing and fastening that will not need so long a cord for lacing the shoe as is generally used; also, a lacing and fastening that may be tightened or loosened on the foot of the wearer with case and facility, and a fastening such as will prevent all accidental loosening or pulling of the lacing-cord on the foot of the wearer when the shoe is laced. This lacing and fastening is also neat, simple, and durable, and assists in making a shoe fit well to the foot ofthe wearer.

In the drawings, A is a ladys or inans ordinary shoe. B is the slit or opening such as is generally used in that class of shoes. C is the lacing-cord, and C is a button or stop on one end of the cord C.

Dis an overlapping iiap or covering for the slit B, and having eyes a a. I make buttonshaped heads b b on the eyes a a, as shown.

c c are eyes located along one side of the slit B on the part E of the shoe A.

F is the fastener or lacing-cord holder.

d is a lug or extension on the fastening F, and e is an eyelet or staple passing through the lug d and the part E of the shoe, thereby attaching the fastener F to the shoe.

I am aware that heretofore there have been shoe laeings or fastenings where the lacingcord has been laced alternately across at an angle and tied at the top of the slit. The great objection to that style of lacing is that the lacing-cord must be very long, and when l the wearer of the shoe of that style wishes to take off the shoe he must loosen therlacingcord from the top of the slit to the lower end of the said slit before he can remove the shoe from the foot, which has always been a long and tedious operation.

The operation with my improved lacingand fastening is both short and easily accomplished by the wearer. After inserting the lacing-cord C through the eyes (t a and c c, 1n the manner indicated in Fig. I, the Qwearer after inserting his foot into the shoe, has only to pull on the upper end of the lacing-cord C, when the overlapping flap D will lie partly over the part E of the shoe A. The eyes a a and c c will come together in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, thereby locking the lacingcord C tightly and holding the overlapping flap D rmly in its place all the way up to the top of the shoe, and then the end of the lacing-cord C is attached to the fastening F in the manner shown in Fig. 4, and then the shoe is neatly and tightly laced on the foot of the wearer, and no accidental movement or movement caused by walking will make the lacing become loose or unfastened.

Should the wearer wish to remove the shoe from the foot, he has only to disengage the end of the lacing-cord C from the fastening or holder F, then grasp and pull up slightly the overlapping Hap D, and then the slit B will. be opened sufficiently wide to allow the shoe to be removed from the foot with ease; but should the wearer wish the slit to be opened more, or should it be necessary to have the lacing-cord to become more loose and have the slit B open wider, he has only to grasp and pull ont slightly the stop 0r button Cl on the end of the lacing-cord C and the lacingcord will be sulliciently loosened to allow the slit B to be opened from top to bottom, all of the operation being accomplished easily and quickly.

The fastening F, I make out of 011e piece of metal, (as is clearly indicated in Figs. 4 and 5,) preferablysteel, and bend in the manner shown, which gives spring enough to tightly grasp and hold the lacing-cord C between the openings f and f.

I am aware that a fastener somewhat simi- 2. The combination, in a boot or shoe, with lar temine has heretofore been used, and I do the quarter or lacing flaps, of the eyes a a and not here intend to claim the same, broadly. c c, arranged upon opposite sides of such quar- Having thus described my invention, what ter -or flaps, the fastener F, and lacing-oord 15 5 I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters having the end stop, al1 arranged to operate Patent, is substantially as shown and described.

l. A boot or shoe the quarter or closing T aps of which are provided with the laeing-v ALOLZO C MATHER eyes a a and c c, arranged upon opposite edges Vitnesses:

1o of the same, and a fastener, F, all substantially HENRY FRANKFURTER,

as shown and described. WILLIAM Y. Con. 

